Birmingham auto dealers say pickup truck sales rising

View full sizeKim Whatley of Center Point checks out a Ford F-150 pickup she bought from Adamson Ford on Tuesday as salesman Sparky Sparks looks on. Sales of pickups have been on the rise in metro Birmingham and nationally in recent months, a sign of an improving economy. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)

Sales of that American mainstay, the pickup truck, are on the rise in metro Birmingham -- and auto dealers believe it is a sign that the economy is perking up.

Officials at Jim Skinner Ford on Center Point Parkway and Adamson Ford on Second Avenue South says they have seen big jumps in sales of their most popular vehicle, the Ford F-Series pickup. Serra Chevrolet in eastern Birmingham and Edwards Chevrolet also have seen increased sales of its pickups, especially the Chevy Silverado.

"Our sales spurted so far ahead of what we expected that at one point in early June we had only eight pickups on the lots," said Marty Phillips, general manager of Edwards Chevrolet downtown and on U.S. 280. "It's a sign of an improving economy. We sold so many more cars and trucks last month that we have half of my new inventory in transit now."

The National Auto Dealers Association says Americans bought 151,000 pickups in May, an increase of 19 percent from the same month in 2009. Sales of full-size pickups, especially popular among contractors, builders and other businesses, led the advance.

In Birmingham, most of the growth in sales of full-size pickups has been led by individuals buying second vehicles or seeking transportation large enough for their families, said Sparky Sparks, a salesman at Adamson Ford.

"People buying pickups for their family are probably 70 percent of my sales and businesses about 30 percent," Sparks said. "I had the best May I've ever seen in 14 years in the car business. Much of it was sparked by the popularity of the Ford F-150 pickup."

Kim Whatley of Center Point bought an F-150 from Sparks on Tuesday, saying she wanted a roomy truck to help carry her 5-year-old son around and haul stuff.

"That truck has everything I want in a vehicle," Whatley said.

Jimmy Skinner Jr., vice president at Jim Skinner Ford, said a rebounding economy -- and good deals -- have people in a buying mood again after a brutal two-year recession that clobbered auto sales.

"We're seeing a lot of pent-up demand," Skinner said. "Sales have picked up a lot. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact we have zero percent interest and big rebates."

Jack Taylor, a business professor at Birmingham-Southern College, said the pickup is a venerable vehicle "that will never go out of style."

The fact that pickup sales are rising is a good sign, he said.

"Pickups are kind of a universal tool popular among businesses and individuals," Taylor said. "The key is whether this spreads to other vehicles as well. The entire auto industry has had problems the past few years."

Phillips of Edwards Chevrolet said his two dealerships have also seen sales of sedans, the crossover Chevy Equinox and even its big Tahoe SUV climb.

"For us, our growth has been led by individuals," Phillips said. "We haven't seen many commercial businesses or contractors buying vehicles for their fleets again yet."

Ward Drennen, president of Don Drennen Buick on U.S. 31 in Hoover, said his dealership has also seen a rise in its pickup and SUV sales, a segment that had been hurt by the combination of rising gasoline prices and sluggish economy the past few years.

"Gas prices are remaining stable and businesses are feeling more confident, and that's encouraging news for us in the automobile industry," Drennen said.

Regular unleaded averaged $2.54 per gallon in the Birmingham area on Tuesday, according to the AAA motoring club. That's down from $2.72 a month ago and far below the record high of $4.05, recorded on Sept. 15, 2008.